Looking For Capterra Alternatives? Here Are 5 Platforms You Should Consider

In the current state of B2B marketing, credibility is still one of the key aspects that impact software purchases. It has never been a greater challenge to track efficiently online content and get in touch with all potential customers, but the bright side of things it has has become significantly more affordable to do so.

The truth is, demand generation used to be a daunting and expensive activity, in particular for small companies which needed but couldn’t afford expanding their online presence and hiring expensive PR agencies and media to do that for them.

Today, however, there are many efficient B2B software review platforms such as Capterra that feature top software performers, and help small companies stay in line with their competitors’ growth rates. For them, it is invaluable how they can promote products and engage audiences relying on no other investment than the mere quality of their service. Readers, on the other hand, land on such platforms to learn about first-hand software usage experience, and pick the best product for their needs without having to contact the vendor directly or ask for specialized advice.

Capterra has done some really good in the niche, due to the fact it came across the personalized experience ideas, and summarized thousands of personalized reviews for top solutions for users to fully meet and understand their prospective systems. As pointed out in the 2012 Local Consumer Review Survey, more than 70% of all software buyers prefer to speak to a person they know, or read an authentic review before they buy a product.

However, this is not the only platform that reviews top performers in a detailed and accurate manner. In many aspects, it is not even the top choice for vendors to promote their software. It is because of this that we listed five smart Capterra alternatives for users to consider if they need a stronger and more efficient online presence for their product.

1. FinancesOnline.com

FinancesOnline.com is among the leading trustworthy and reliable software review platforms. It has many similarities to Capterra, but goes a step ahead with some of its advanced features. The platfomr delivers many independent and unbiased customer reviews for top software solutions, but what is really unique and great about it is how it combines authentic experiences with actual expert research. In fact, there is a whole professional B2B team behind the wheel that conducts thorough research for each product, and discusses the features and functionalities it believes distinguish those products from their competitors. In most cases, reviews contain hints on how to perform less familiar operations within the system, and give directions on how to integrate it with specific third-party systems. On FinancesOnline, all users can also read interesting comparisons and free articles tackling different SaaS products and categories.

Here’s how a product review looks on FinancesOnline

The platform can help both software vendors and software buyers. Vendors can ensure active online presence and more credibility for his brand, and generate more leads as many satisfied users confirm. Being listed on FinancesOnline.com means boosting your conversion rate by 10-20%, depending on whether you run a popular and established app, or are just launching a new product.

But that’s not all FinancesOnline can do for you: their team is just tireless when it comes to discovering new apps and attractive B2B products, focused mostly on helping small companies and inexperienced developers stand up on their feet and attract their first leads. There is a big chance your product is already listed there (you can check this in their directory), and in case it is not, you can easily request to add your product to their listing.

Rankings and comparisons can help your product reach a wider audience

Many potential clients also rely on FinancesOnline’s proprietary algorithm that evaluates the value for each product, including all metrics that may be relevant to them. The presence of the SmartScore System designed to aggregate score figures for different systems, such as functionalities, features, mobility, integrations, and customer support can really contribute to encouraging people to try your product.

Alongside the SmartScore System, FinancesOnline also works with a Customer Satisfaction Algorithm to monitor and analyze social media mentions, comments, and reviews, and use these insights to calculate an overall peer score that speaks on behalf of customers and their own experiences. On many occasions, FinancesOnline was named the key and most helpful social proof provider for software buyers.

The story doesn’t end up here: FinancesOnline is also known by its Verified Quality Seal awarded to specific products whose quality has been evaluated and credibility confirmed. Seals like these are displayed both on the product’s FinancesOnline reviews, and its official website and significantly contribute to increased conversion rates and sales of a product that received them.

Finally, FinancesOnline awards and acknowledges top performers with special trust marks, including prestigious excellence awards and expert certificate and niche seals, which further confirm the quality of these products, and boost their conversion rates and brand awareness. Usually, similar acknowledgements are ascribed to products that excel in multiple categories, including innovation, user-friendly interface, timely support, and so on. However, even products that just enter the market can merit an award or two if the quality of their service is high.

2. SoftwareAdvice.com

SoftwareAdvice is another example of a tech-specific platform that offers thousands of reliable reviews. What makes it different than FinancesOnline and Capterra is that it pays equal attention to corporate-suitable and individual use applications. At the same time, it doesn’t offer the Capterra-like interface where apps are divided into subcategories, but relies entirely on its powerful search filter to make browsing easier and narrower.

We believe SoftwareAdvice is a valuable source both for software buyers and B2B vendors, but will also reveal some interesting information for jobseekers, news and press agencies and publishers. A software vendor, for instance, can showcase his product to wider audiences in a way which exposes its productivity highlights, and at the same time gets to boost demand and revenue generation on a pay-per-lead principle. Buyers, meanwhile, arrive at a completely free hub with reliable information, and can consult experts and ask them to shortlist applications that could add value to their businesses. This way, they avoid expensive mistakes, and shorten the time needed to research the market and find the right app.

Just as in the case of Capterra and FinancesOnline, the user can rate products he has already used, but the key difference is that he doesn’t have to register or provide corporate credentials unless he wants to do so. While this may be an excellent idea for saving time, it could affect the reputation of vendors who are potentially being spammed so this Capterra alternative is a bit risky in that regard.

3. G2Crowd

G2 Crowd is another one of users’ favorite B2B review platforms, which gathers authentic feedback from product users, and applies special filters to help buyers read more on the product they like. From a go-to-review point of view, G2 Crowd is probably even more reliable than Capterra, as it currently offers over 25,000 genuine user reviews and comments.

Another reason why this platform is so popular is that it gives users access to a dynamic and huge community (30,000 motivated users so far!) where they can read authentic stories, experiences, and recommendations, and use those to improve their own strategies and decisions. One can also observe this community as a collective research hub where customers gather to discuss, exchange data, and inform themselves about products that are not often reviewed or discussed on the net. Such community helps numerous sole proprietors and ordinary users with no software experience invest their money in the best possible alternative.

Reviewing a product on G2 Crowd is also made easy, be it simple star feedback, or a long and descriptive product review. Users who are particularly active and have contributed more than once are distinguished with special awards, and exposed to the attention of novice users looking for professional advice.

Other groups of users who should definitely consider G2 Crowd are enterprise technology investors and analysts, as the platform will help them compare even most similar products, and provide them with synthesized social data delivered in an understandable manner.

4. GetApp

Inspired by Capterra, GetApp has helped numerous businesses around the world find the best solution for their needs.

More particularly, GetApp specializes in reviewing small- and medium-size business solutions, as it reviews, compares, and analyzes top software products with a great overview of their pricing systems. Another thing this platform does with ease is to share internet-wide recommendations and product discussions, collect customer feedback, and allow new users to post questions and interact with its community.

GetApp follows a similar categorization concept to the one of FinancesOnline and Capterra, meaning that it divides products in wide categories, and discusses their pricing models, geographies and customers they serve, their integrations, mobile optimization, and main features. There, you can find large lists of popular CRM products, HR and employee management systems, accounting software, project management apps, and much more.

GetApp deserves in particular the attention of business developers looking to boost their visibility, which is confirmed by the large number of satisfied users claiming that GetApp helped them generate demand, connect to reliable partners, or boosted the productivity of their online stores.

5. AppExchange

AppExchange is a marketplace consultancy platform provided by Salesforce, where businesses arrive looking for productive software and reliable industry partners.

The rationale behind this program was what turned AppExchange into a leading software consultant and reviewer: Salesforce used it to list more than 2,700 products that can be integrated to expand the capacity of its accounts, but even ones that support businesses’ growth without necessarily being related to it. From marketers’ perspective, AppExchange has either way become a trustworthy cloud computing service for users from all scales and industries.

Both buyers and vendors will find this platform very useful: the vendor will boost the efficiency of his online presence, and depict potential developers he would like to interact with, while the buyer can easily find the apps that correspond to is needs, and make the best possible deal for his money.

About Author

Kate Stephens is a young and creative graphic designer as well as the mastermind behind AlternativesFinder.com her own startup company aimed at providing customers with reliable and often cheaper alternatives to various popular brands and products from all possible markets.

What is AlternativesFinder

AlternativesFinder is a website that offers reliable B2B and SaaS software reviews as well as rich content useful for any company and manager interested in cloud-based solutions. It is our goal to provide our readers with a wide range of software reviews and we always try to offer extra insight that will allow you to pick a solution that will best suit your individual company needs.